This invention relates to composting devices. Composting is the purposeful biodegradation of organic matter such as yard and food waste to yield effective, natural nutrients for plants in the form of small dark chunks called compost and liquid called worm leachate. The decomposition is performed by micro-organisms like bacteria, yeasts, nematodes, protozoa, and fungi. Composting is naturally a relatively slow process. It could take up to two years, if left alone, for yard clippings and leaves to completely process into good compost. In low temperatures, a number of macro-organisms, such as springtails, ants, nematodes, isopods, and earthworms can accelerate the composting process. These macro-organisms aid the process because compost producing micro-organisms live inside the macro-organisms in large quantities. The large amounts of micro-organisms living in the digestive tracts of these organisms greatly accelerate the composting process. Also, sand particles in the digestive tracts of these organisms mechanically break down waste particles allowing the micro-organisms to consume waste faster. Under the right conditions, macro-organisms can thrive to continuously regenerate, in a controlled way, to eat large quantities of organic matter, allowing the micro-organisms to decompose the matter into compost in relatively short periods of time. This device specifically relates to a “vermicomposter” device which is a composting device that uses earthworms or worms to greatly accelerate the composting process.
Worms require moisture to breathe because they take in oxygen through their skin. They will die if their skin dries out. On the other hand, too much moisture in composting bins will produce unpleasant orders and worms could drown in moisture pockets in the bins. Unpleasant orders result from anaerobic bacteria which naturally crop up in waste material that is too moist. Organisms that accelerate the composting process, living within the worms, are generally aerobic, in that they require oxygen to live. Composting micro-organisms continuously use oxygen from air as a reactant to produce compost. Thus, increased oxygen accelerates the composting process. Anaerobic bacteria inhibit the composting process because they thrive in oxygen free environments and thereby expand such oxygen free areas, which in turn, depletes aerobic organisms, thereby slowing the compost rate. Thus, too much moisture greatly slows the process. On the other hand, too much oxygen, which comes from airflow, could dry out the worms and kill them, as stated above. Therefore there is an optimal balance between moisture and airflow regarding maximum production rate of compost in vermicomposters.
In nature, worms live in the upper surface of the ground at a dept of about 0-2 feet. When they are cold, they instinctually migrate upwards towards the surface of the ground, and when they get hot, they migrate downwards. Additionally, worms dislike sunlight because it dries them, thus worms readily move downward when confronted with sunlight. Additionally, worms migrate to find layers with abundant food supplies. When conditions are within the optimal range, worms do not migrate.
This device plays on these instinctual characteristics of worms to yield maximum compost rates. Specifically, the device consists of a tray system where trays are stacked vertically to form several layers of bins where worms can freely migrate between the bins according to their natural instincts. By controlling the migration between layers, the device produces compost quickly and conveniently.